Welcome to Riseley WEA
Riseley WEA is an adult educational organisation where we offer two sessions of lectures per year on a variety of cultural subjects - a Spring Term and an Autumn term.
With a history going back nearly twenty seven years, we have covered a wide variety of subjects, from history, architecture, music, art, film and many more.
All our lectures are delivered by tutors with extensive knowledge of their subjects and a great deal of experience in teaching interested and enthusiastic adults.
Everyone is welcome.
We meet in the comfort of Riseley Village Hall Lounge where we start each meeting with a welcoming cup of tea or coffee and biscuits.
Spring 2014 Courses
This term we have two courses running
This term we have two courses running
Europe Between the Wars
by Stephen Corley
Started Wednesday 15th January 2014
This ten week course will look at the consequences of World War I and the causes of World War II.
The first two weeks lectures dealt with the course and outcome of World War I.
Next will be sessions on the Great Powers in 1918, Making the Peace and Keeping the Peace. The next three sessions will look at threats to peace; the Rise of Hitler; the Great Depression; and the challenge of Aggressive Nationalism in the early 1930's. The concluding three sessions will deal with the growing power of Hitler's Germany, Anglo-French Appeasement and the outbreak of war in 1939.
Next will be sessions on the Great Powers in 1918, Making the Peace and Keeping the Peace. The next three sessions will look at threats to peace; the Rise of Hitler; the Great Depression; and the challenge of Aggressive Nationalism in the early 1930's. The concluding three sessions will deal with the growing power of Hitler's Germany, Anglo-French Appeasement and the outbreak of war in 1939.
There will be film clips, handouts, maps, extracts from books, documents and illustrations.
Opera - Verdi and Puccini
by Peter Bleasby
Started Tuesday 21st January 2014
This ten week course will look at the great works of these two giants of Italian Opera with excerpts from their combined total of 40 operas
The first weeks lecture examined and compared the early lives of Verdi and Puccini as well as a quick look at the extent of their works.
The first weeks lecture examined and compared the early lives of Verdi and Puccini as well as a quick look at the extent of their works.
Future lectures will cover:-
Did the two composers have anything in common?
Did the two composers have anything in common?
How did they differ?
How did they get on with their librettists?
What was their attitude to nationalism?
How did they respond to Wagner?
What about their private lives?
How did they deal with failure?
How international were their fames during their lifetimes?
The course looks at all of this and more.
Extracts from all their operas will be seen (or just occasionally heard) and discussed.